Tag: Health

Equal parts mortifying, morbid and fascinating, Quackery is a guided tour through the horrifying world of medicine and health care in days gone by. I eat these kinds of books up like candy, who doesn’t like lurid trivia of the not-so-good ol’ days? I know I do!

I really liked the layout, it’s akin to my favorite magazine, Mental Floss with little factoids on every page to highlight the subject. Very well organized, full of stomach turning stories of medical mistakes and maladies, it kept me turning pages and very thankful I live in the modern day.

I’ve been interested in Feng Shui for a long time but never found a good, basic guide for understanding Feng Shui and applying it to my home and life. When I saw this book available on Netgalley, I hoped that this would be my gateway to understanding more about Feng Shui and I wasn’t disappointed.

The information on this book is very well organized and in-depth, with information not only on how natural formations can impact your life, but also the objects in your home. While I was aware that the direction your front door faces can have an impact on your life, I had no idea that where my stove or toilets were placed could have an impact as well.

Using the two types of Feng Shui (Eight Mansions and Flying Stars) and how to determine y I can apply the guidance to my house and hopefully make it more harmonious. Although I live in an apartment and I’m limited in any physical changes I can make, the book has many tips and suggestions to weaken or diminish any negative energies found in my home.

Of the two Feng Shui systems, the Eight Mansions was far easier to understand. All the information is well laid out in terms a a true beginner like me can understand, but it’s going to take some time to get a better understanding of Flying Stars and I look forward to studying it further.

Overall, an exceptional book for learning the basics of Feng Shui and I recommend it whether you’re a beginner looking for an introduction, or a practitioner looking for a strong reference book and would make a great gift.

Thank you to Llewellyn Publications and Netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review

Classical Feng Shui for Health, Beauty & Longevity is available at book retailers or online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble

The Healing Art of Essential Oils: A Guide to 50 Oils for Remedy, Ritual, and Everyday Use by Kac Young

An excellent reference as an introduction to essential oils and aromatherapy, a must have for healthy living.

A few months ago, I got a neck massage and the therapist used juniper and eucalyptus oil and I was curious to find out why those particular oils? So when I saw this book for offer on NetGalley, I was interested in expanding my knowledge and this book accomplished that and so much more.

Kac Young obviously knows her oils and she explains them well, breaking down each essential oil’s properties and usage. The explanation of the various ways to use essential oils (diffuser, inhaler, on the skin, etc) Very well researched and easy to understand, the book guides you through how to purchase quality oils, how to blend them and the best uses for each oil. There are so many useful tips in here, from how to blend the fragrances, to how to use essential oils to cure common ailments and even recipes for everyday products. Since it’s cold/flu season, I plan on utilizing the recipes to clean and sanitize the air in my home, plus household cleaners and hand sanitizers that are all natural. I really want to try the anti-aging serum (have you seen how much they cost at the store? Much cheaper to make it myself, and with all natural ingredients!) I have never had so many bookmarks in one book before, I can’t wait until the book is released to buy a hardcover to keep as a handy reference. I really enjoyed the history of the use of essential oils, it just proves that for common ailments, the best medicine are the tried and true remedies that have been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

Overall, a great book to get budding aromatherapists started, and would make an excellent gift for anyone interested in all-natural products for healing and in the home.

The Healing Art of Essential Oils is available at book retailers or online at Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Thank you to Llewellyn Publications and NetGalley who provided an advance copy in return for my honest review.

Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual: For Everyone from Beginner to Pro by Bobbi Brown

I’ve heard about this book from different sources, and as I’ve been paying more attention to my skin and makeup in the last few months (getting old is hell) I thought I’d see if I could pick up a few tips.

There’s a nice long section on skin care; covering the different skin types and how to determine what your skin type is, the types of cleansers and moisturizers to use and how to apply, and lots of tips and tricks. It helped me to straighten out my skin care regimen (it honestly never occurred to me that I was applying an oil serum and a water based moisturizer on top. Oil and water don’t mix. Duh me.) and my skin is looking better now.

All the information was presented in a straightforward, easy to understand manner. I also loved the tips on applying foundation flawlessly. That’s been my big problem (and the reason I got the book) because you know what? When you start getting those fine lines and wrinkles, your foundation doesn’t look flawless anymore.

The only reason I gave it 4 stars we because I felt it could use some editing; some of the sections went on far too long and I started getting bored.

Overall, a great resource for a makeup noob like me and very recommended for people of all skill levels.

Whether you’re an aspiring make up artist or just a beginner looking for instructions on how to do your makeup correctly, you can purchase a copy on Amazonor at book retailers.

A great resource, The Gut Health Diet Plan offers information, solutions and hope to people suffering from gut problems like IBS, celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and other digestive problems.

I was interested to read this because I have minor stomach problems from time to time and I was looking for ideas on how to improve my digestion. The information is laid out in an easy to understand and precise way. No scientific jargon to confuse you, just plain English. I especially liked the information about probiotic supplements and leaky gut, I’ve done a little reading on both subjects and the information in the book backed up a lot of what I read and even gave new information that I didn’t know.

The book also has an easy to follow meal plan with plenty of recipes that are dairy-free, grain free and a lot of them are Paleo. I don’t know that I’ll be able to do the whole program, but I intend to implement a lot of things in my diet (like fermented foods and Kefir) and see if that helps my overall digestive help.

I definitely recommend this book for anyone with tummy troubles, whether you take the plunge and follow the program or if you just want to learn more about how to heal your gut.